Trump: ‘Many sides’ to blame for violent clashes in Virginia

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (AP) — President Donald Trump is blaming “many sides” for the violent clashes between protesters and white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Trump also contends that the “hatred and bigotry” broadcast across the country had taken root long before his political ascendancy. Trump’s comments are drawing criticism from Republicans and Democrats who say he should be denouncing hate groups by name.

Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer, a Democrat, says that he blames Trump for inflaming racial prejudices with his campaign last year. Sen. Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, says that the president “must call evil by its name.”

A neo-Nazi website is praising the president for not condemning white nationalist groups for the demonstration that turned violent. The Daily Stormer says that Trump’s comments are “good” and amount to “no condemnation at all.”

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BEDMINISTER, N.J. (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s reaction to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia (all times local):

President Donald Trump is condemning “in the strongest possible terms” what he’s calling an “egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides” after clashes at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

&nbspA hospital official says one person has died and 19 were injured after a car plowed into a group of protesters in Charlottesville.

University of Virginia Medical Center spokeswoman Angela Taylor confirmed the death to The Associated Press.

The mayor of Charlottesville said via Twitter on Saturday that he is “heartbroken” to announce that a “life has been lost.” He did not provide details.

Witnesses say a car plowed into a crowd of people who were protesting the rally, which was held by white nationalists who oppose the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee by the city of Charlottesville.;

Trump is calling for “a swift restoration of law and order and the protection of innocent lives.”

The president made his comments at a bill signing ceremony at his golf club in New Jersey where he’s on a working vacation.

Trump says he’s spoken with the governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, and “we agreed that the hate and the division must stop and must stop right now.”

President Donald Trump says there’s “no place” in the United States for the kind of violence that’s broken out at a white nationalist rally in Virginia.

Disturbances began Friday night during a march through the University of Virginia. Saturday’s clashes between white nationalists and counter-protesters have grown so violent the governor has declared a state of emergency and police have ordered people to disperse.

Trump has tweeted that “we ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for.” He also says “there is no place for this kind of violence in America. Lets come together as one!”

The White House was silent for hours except for a tweet from first lady Melania Trump — “Our country encourages freedom of speech, but let’s communicate w/o hate in our hearts.”